DISORDERLY CONDUCT

Following is a guest blog by Dr. William Pratt.

Nations seem to move from order to disorder and back to order. The transitions may be rapid or slow. The processes are more or less violent. It appears to me that , at present, the Republican Party of the USA has become an agency of disorder. Good governments have found a balance between order and disorder. Too much order brings oppression of individual fulfillment. Too little order brings loss of a foundation for personal achievement. Collapse of a society or nation may occur when there is too much order and oppressed people rebel against tyranny or when not enough people participate in a democracy. Order is then restored by force by stronger, better organized groups. A foreign power may also intervene and take control.

The Republican Party now represents disorder.

1. Regulation of the financial system is order. Deregulation is disorder.
2. Union representation is order. Unorganized workers is disorder.
3. Economically secure families is order. Hungry children in deprived neighborhoods is disorder.
4. Peace is order. War is disorder.
5. Environmental regulation is order. Pollution is disorder.
6. Treatment for drug abuse is order. The illegal drug trade is disorder.
7. A comprehensive immigration policy is order. Chaotic immigration policies is disorder.
8. Available health care insurance and health care is order. Millions without health care insurance is disorder.  

The dominant message of the Republican Party now is to oppose efforts to restore a reasonable degree of order. Disorder does benefit those with more power and wealth, at least for a while. Republicans with a longer view know that increasing disorder will have tragic consequences. The people who provided our US Constitution were well aware of the problem of disorder. They had just created disorder by rebelling against the British Empire. They saw the loss of lives and the disruption of social structure.

The right balance of order and disorder can happen in a liberal democracy. There can be innovation and free expression on a base of mutually agreed stability. Our Constitution and our better traditions show the way.